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What does it mean to go to the dark side?

5K views 55 replies 19 participants last post by  Harkon 
#1 ·
Since I joined this forum I have heard different people mentioning going to the dark side. I assume it involves replacing the rear tire with a car tire and other modifications as well. I'm sorry if this sounds like a rhetorical question but what is exactly mean to go to the dark side? Is it just changing all the Chrome to Black? And no I'm not talking about Anakin Skywalker throwing his Jedi friends under the bus kind of dark side?
All jokes aside, can someone please explain this to me?
 
#5 ·
It means to trade your soul to the gods of being cheap in exchange for years of constantly defending your decision to run car tires on a motorcycle - forever thumbing your nose at common sense and the laws of physics equipped with nothing more than "I heard somewhere that a bunch of people have ridden bikes like this and most are still alive"
 
#10 ·
Seriously though, and not to dissuade anyone, many have done a dark side conversion. As far as I know there has never been an issue attributable to the conversion. I personally do not support it, but it is only my opinion. I'm a right tool (purpose designed tool) for the job kinda guy. Again, JMHO.
 
#12 ·
TennX I would agree. If your riding less then a new set of tires a season why bother.... I love mine on the other hand and should have close to 25,000 riding miles this year. I will say I have yet to find any actuall downside to the CT on my bike. If there was anything that wasn't up to par/negative I would go back to a MT.

Right took for the job is like using an adjustment tool for the shocks (right tool) or using a rubber strap wrench, both work great but I guarentee you won't accidentally scratch the shock with the rubber strap wrench... ?

Keep the shiny side up!
 
#14 ·
Just a thought. If you have an accident and an insurance adjuster looks at the bike and sees a car tire on it, would that be grounds to deny a claim?


Sitting on my VTX making vroom vroom sounds.

https://www.hondashadow.net/forum/m...08-honda-vtx-1300t-16842-picture71386-vtx.jpg
That's been discussed here before, and as far as I know it's not ever happened. That said, not all accidents are extensively investigated. My bet is that if there were a potentially large payout imminent, if there were a way for an insurance company to bail legally, they will. At the very least, again if the payout were potentially substantial, bet on it significantly delaying things. OTOH, if it were some bent pieces, it's unlikely they would spend any significant resources doing an in depth investigation.


It's been my experience that insurance companies are in the money making business, and paying claims they don't absolutely have to contradict that directive.
 
#20 ·
Yeah, I think the people who design these machines get paid a lot of money to decide which wheel and tire work best on them. But naturally, there's always going to be some Yah-hoo in Podunk, who feels he's a lot smarter than Honda's Engineers. And the famous last words of most of them is, "HEY Y'ALL!! WATCH THIS!!!".
 
#22 · (Edited)
First, I am not a darksider

just a little History .. ( I know many hate this )

Goodyear Tire company ( USA )
used to make motorcycle tires.. ( pre Dunlop )

both in round profile... and flat ( car like profile )...

mostly for sidecar use... so for sidecar AND rear Drive tire.....

production stopped about 1980... deal with it..
 
#24 · (Edited)
darkside... started during world war One...... more in world war two...

deal with it...

no reason to insult...
its HISTORY...

to an extended point...
NO trailers behind bikes.. I started pulling a cargo trailer behind my 83 Goldwing in 83...

no bike is "OKed" to tow anything.

NO aftermarket ANYTHING..... only Factory offered accessories....
NO custom bikes...


< Wait > motorcycles were made before a company started to produce motorcycles..

the very first motorcycle was Made of WOOD...

same with Cars...
 
#26 ·
darkside... started during world war One...... more in world war two...

deal with it...

no reason to insult...
its HISTORY...

to an extended point...
NO trailers behind bikes.. I started pulling a cargo trailer behind my 83 Goldwing in 83...

no bike is "OKed" to tow anything.

NO aftermarket ANYTHING..... only Factory offered accessories....
NO custom bikes...
< Wait > motorcycles were made before a company started to produce motorcycles..

...
IMO, I think there are two schools of thought here: One, is the engineer's ideas that have been tested and applied, and another one which is nothing more than a disclaimer for their insurance, so they don't get sued when someone pulls the WRONG trailer using the WRONG bike, with the WRONG modifications. As a retired truck driver, anyone will tell you that towing anything with anything else, substantially increases the possibility of an accident. So Honda's insurance company advises them to say that anything fun is dangerous. IMHO.
 
#27 ·
I used to ride with the Cruiser Club in Adelaide which was mostly metric cruisers. As clubs change and evolve the wanna be tough guys started to trade in for Harleys and develop an appropriate attitude. They were considered as "gone to the darkside". Another use of that terminology. Most of those moved on to join a feeder club for the big name clubs. Us metric cruiser riders considered it the darkside in the same way the, already Harley riders, considered the newly Harleyised had seen the light!
 
#31 · (Edited)
Engineers.... I guess many have never met... or worked beside any...

they LOVE to get there hands dirty... Engine and suspension types.

< History >... look up the "RamChargers"..... Chrysler engineers... after work hours.

Zora Arkus-Duntov,, he took Chevy and Corvette into world racing.. he was an engineer.. He pushed Chevy.. not the other way around.

I am NOT nor ever was an engineer... but spoke and worked with a few...

but 2 years of engineering school..
life and lack of money killed that dream..

Companies....= accountants, bean counter, lawyers, then engineers...
that is the order of most companies.. so DO NOT Blame engineers..

when there higher up's has the final say.. about everything.


FACTS FIRST... not b/s.


the biggest Company override of its engineers.
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

my limited education OPINION.
 
#32 ·
Engineers.... I guess many have never met... or worked beside any...

they LOVE to get there hands dirty... Engine and suspension types.

< History >... look up the "RamChargers"..... Chrysler engineers... after work hours.

Zora Arkus-Duntov,, he took Chevy and Corvette into world racing.. he was an engineer.. He pushed Chevy.. not the other way around.

I am NOT nor ever was an engineer... but spoke and worked with a few...

but 2 years of engineering school..
life and lack of money killed that dream..

Companies....= accountants, bean counter, lawyers, then engineers...

FACTS FIRST... not b/s.
Before being misunderstood, my post was an ironic statement...
 
#34 ·
I don't get why anyone could care less what anyone else does with their bike. But, I feel that way about most things. I mean there are tons of guys that put huge off road tires on their 4X4s (that never go off road) just to scrub them off driving back and forth to work. I think it's dumb (and kinda comical) but, I'd never try to dissuade them.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Morning Jimbo... I did not know you came down here to TEXAS.???>:):grin2:


a few of these trucks.. you need a 3 foot step ladder to get into them....
running Semi-truck wheels ... 19.5"....

6,8,10 inch lift..


the under side is as clean an shinny as the top side...
to go back and forth to work... in an office..
 
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#36 ·
Mid-70's. I had a CB450. So did my friend Hank. He put 6" over stock tubes (Pa. legal limit), I followed suit. Then he got a HD rim + ARCO fat tire and had it laced to his Honda hub. THAT was so cool, of course I did it too. I added a set of modest pullbacks and a modified low king/ queen seat, with trident sissy bar, and I was Peter Fonda! And a set of shorty baffled mufflers for the badass sound to piss off the neighborhood.
 
#39 · (Edited)
OK, 1972 on a 1972 CB750... added a 850 kit.. Honda Works camshaft and rockers... electronic points...

and a few other things....



10 inch over Franks Forks.. rear dropped 2 1/2 inches
Jardene headers with shorty mufflers..
oversized drive chain and sprockets... 630. notice NO chain guard...
blacked out engine... with polished cases..
custom handlebars..

all of that to a NEW Motorcycle...

engine had less then 500 miles when removed for 850 kit.
 
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#51 ·
Thats just sacrilege, and you should be flogged.:thumbup:
 
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#56 · (Edited)
Just to play devil's advocate on this;
Aside from the fact that Honda's engineers do not recommend a 280 tire on the VTX, it is still an MC tire on and MC rim. This discussion would be largely moot if darksiders were to use a CT on a CT wheel. So I propose MC wheel manufacturers specifically design a MC wheel to correctly accept a CT and all of these silly arguments go away. Maybe this is a business opportunity for someone, although I cannot imagine the cost of liability insurance for such a manufacturer. Maybe this is why none have done it.


AFAIK, Boss Hoss never did have a wheel made to match a CT bead. IOW, they were as darkside as anyone out there. I'm sure, based on that, someone woke up to the possibility of some huge law suit that could kill the company in a heartbeat. For something as minor as the tire type provided, better to play safe ... legally speaking.
 
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